Pulse Diagnosis (Mai-Zhen)

diagnostics

Pulse diagnosis examines the radial artery at three positions on each wrist—Zun, Guan, and Chi—which correspond to different organs. The depth, frequency, strength, width, and rhythm are assessed. A superficial pulse indicates an external syndrome, a deep pulse an internal one; a rapid pulse indicates heat, a slow pulse indicates cold; a strong pulse indicates fullness, a weak pulse indicates emptiness. Among the classical types are: string-like (indicating stagnation of liver qi), gliding (indicating phlegm or pregnancy), and thin (indicating a deficiency of blood or yin). The pulse reflects rapid changes and complements the more “slow-changing” tongue well.